Beth Staples

I am a postgraduate researcher working in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Metamaterials (XM²). My PhD project is titled "Control of flow-induced near-field noise through the use of metasurfaces", and is supervised by Prof. Roy Sambles and Prof. Alastair Hibbins, in collaboration with our industry sponsor Thales UK Limited.

Our aim is to reduce the detected flow noise in structures exposed to turbulent flow underwater, by attempting to filter out the near-field noise, without compromising the amount of far-field signal detected. To do so effectively requires an increased understanding of how arbitrary near-field pressure fluctuations are transmitted from the water through the detector housing, which we hope to achieve by studying the eigenmodes of the system than lie in the near-field region. This allows us to neglect the complexities of flow, and undertake a pure underwater acoustics and elastic waves study.

In the first year of my PhD, I undertook an exciting fundamental physics study exploring the near-field eigenmodes of plastic plates underwater, and the findings have been submitted to a peer review journal. I was lucky enough to be an invited speaker at the 2019 Rank Prize Symopsium on drawing parallels between acoustics and electromagnetism, and spoke at three additional conferences throughout the year.

I am also on the University of Exeter's Disability Panel, as a representative and point of contact for undergaduates and postgraduates with disabilities. The panelists work with the university's Equality Council to address the concerns and difficulties of underrepressented groups, and to promote equality, diversity and inclusivity.